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May 29, 2011

Disclaimer:
All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian
stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs
and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For
those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful
comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note
prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Just the word "maze" incites an instant mental picture of adventure, mystery, danger, and bravery. James Dashner's, The Maze Runner, has screamed at me from bookshelves for the past six months. At last, when I found an extra $9.99 in my pocket, I purchased it.

The story follows a teenage boy named Thomas who wakes up in what seems to be a never-ending pitch-black elevator that deposits him into the center of a maze--a maze that's kept over 50 boys prisoner for several years. With a faulty memory and determination to find answers, Thomas seeks knowledge in every nook and cranny of the hundred-foot walls surrounding the only safe square to live in--the Glade.
He has a rough entry into the created Glade-culture, where boys take little pity on newcomers and everyone has accepted the fate of what seems to be an unsolvable maze. Every Glader has a duty--farming, cooking, healing, etc. Thomas wants to be a Runner--an explorer of the maze who spends all day seeking answers.
Instead of welcoming him with open arms, the Gladers suspect him when things start to change. Boys remember him, but they don't know why. A girl shows up in the elevator-box (the first one ever). A message is received from the Creators. And Thomas somehow has bravery and answers no one else has seen before.

When the "end" is triggered, the boys are forced to fight for their lives, their friends, and their sanity against the dreaded enemies called "The Grievers". Time is running out and escape options dwindle like a trickling waterfall.

This book was a quick read--took me less than a week, which is saying a lot in my busy schedule. The plot was intriguing and many of the character emotions were deep and believable. I felt confused with Thomas and frustrated with his fleeting memories. The adventure is constant and page-turning, but a little on the darker side. Many children die over the course of the book and there are other things like sacrifices and torturing sickness.

The end was rather dark and a little depressing. Not a lot of hope is left or achieved. The "last battle" of sorts is graphic, sad, and slightly disturbing with the knowledge that all the screams and deaths are those of teenage children. Throughout the novel, I found Thomas's lack of compassion in certain situations disturbing, like when a boy is sacrificed to the Maze. My siblings and I were all disappointed in his character...to an extent.

The plot had a lot of potential. It built and built and built to something I hoped would be great, but turned out to be cliche, drawn-out, predictable, and repetitive. Once I discovered the answers behind the existence and purpose of the maze, I was sorely disappointed. It wasn't believable. It kept the imagination-cogs turning through the novel, but in the end weakened the story.

The characters were sadly bland. One dimensional and inconsistent. Thomas in particular seemed lacking in emotions and somehow manages to succeed at absolutely everything he does. While the reader wants to see the character eventually succeed, there needs to be more conflict--both inner and outer. Thomas just had a lot of outer conflict that was "conquered" with just a little average thinking.

There are made-up words in the novel like "shuck", "slinthead", and "shank", which are used in replacement of swear-words. The character, Newt, who appears to be British, uses British "swear words" that may be acceptable for the American culture to read, but if you're British they're on the line and used quite often.

On a Christian level, there are a few flippant mentions of God, but more as a passing note of jest or random comment referring to a generic deity. The "culture" created in the Maze is lacking a lot of hope and compassion and the only clear theme running throughout the novel is "never give up", but once we reach the end, no hope is reached.

The book had so much potential--cool title, catching first chapter, and who doesn't like the idea of a giant creepy maze? But Dashner took a good idea and delivered it like a bad video game. Overall, I found the read interesting, but mediocre. It's doubtful I'd read it again.

Violence Level: ***

Romance Level:*

Christian Focus:*

Readability Level:**

Story Depth Level:***

Recommendation: **

For a more detailed explanation of the above ratings, visit the 6-Point Nutshell post.Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

May 25, 2011

I've recently been obsessed with dystopian fiction. The only reason I know the term "dystopian " is because of my recent obsession...and because my current novel project falls under this sub-genre.

Dystopia. n. "An imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one."

In other words, books like The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins), We (Yevgeny Zamyatin), 1984 (George Orwell), Matched (Ally Condie), and movies like Equilibrium and The City of Ember.

Dystopian fiction is popping out of authors and publishing houses like vampire books after Twilight (Stephanie Meyers). To cope with the rising tide of excellent books (or at least hopes of excellent books), I am embarking upon a dystopian marathon. The next series of books I will consume are pulled solely from that sub-genre. My current list of hopeful reads is as follows:

There's no guarantee that I'll last through all five of these books without wanting to switch genres, but I promise to get through all five of them before the summer is out. Dystopian fans, keep your eyes out for a new favorite novel and cross your fingers for the authors succumbed to my scrutiny.

(Question for my readers: If you could choose your favorite dystopian novel of all times and demand that I read it before any of these other ones, what would it be?)

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

May 23, 2011

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

The feeling of picking up a book that is not a textbook is almost as uplifting as the start of summer break. Over the course of graduate school, trying to survive classes, enduring ever-changing weather, and watching God turn my life like a kaleidoscope, I have not had the chance to read a single page in a novel, but fear not!
I have passed my classes, I'm still somewhat sane (though I did put the pretzels in the freezer the other day), and now it is break-time (at least for the next three days). This, of course, means I got to finish reading Brandon Mull's Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven 4).

I forgot how much I enjoy the characters of Seth and Kendra. A book should never be subjected to having a bookmark on the same page for over a month (unless it's a really crummy book).

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary was just as enjoyable as the first three Fablehaven books. It ties knots and turns through invisible mazes with the speed and precision of a mole in a carrot patch.
Brandon Mull takes the mysteries of the magical world to new levels in this book, introducing the characters to shape-imitating stingbulbs, the history and etiquette of dragons, old pacts with centaurs, and revelations of traitors and villains.

Kendra and Seth return to Fablehaven for much more serious reasons than a holiday visit--escape, safety, and trouble. Another artifact must be retrieved before the suspected leading villain (the Sphinx) steals it first. His collection is growing and the possibility of the demon prison, Zyzzx, being opened is growing more precarious. The artifact they seek this time lies hidden in the dragon sanctuary. Not only are dragons one of the most dangerous beasts in the magical world, but they are protective, unable to be defeated, smart, selfish, and numerous. They are also the welcoming committee for Kendra, Seth, and the others that enter the sanctuary through stealth. Will they succeed? Will they perish? What hope will be left at the end?

Delivered with as much excellence as books one, two, and three, I had difficulty putting it down when duty called. The action is on the more intense side and fighting lathers every page once the quest to the dragon sanctuary begins. The focus on family and friendship is strong and creates deep bonds in the reader and characters. I enjoyed the development of that part of the characters. The Fablehaven series has been awaiting some more emotional and family bonding.

In regards to plot, the book is clean and filled with constant action. A few characters die, but nothing is gruesome or inappropriate for the young reader. Brandon Mull could have improved his character development a little bit, or at least made some emotions in Seth and Kendra a bit deeper and more believable. Even with the battles, cliffhangers, and a few bruises, this book is perfectly appropriate for its intended age-group (and above). I enjoyed it on a fairly neutral level and for the sake of furthering the plot.

Violence Level: ***

Romance Level:**

Christian Focus:*

Readability Level:****

Story Depth Level:***

Recommendation: ***

For a more detailed explanation of the above ratings, visit the 6-Point Nutshell post.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

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How would you live if you knew the day you'd die? In a world where everyone has a Clock showing their day of death, Parvin Blackwater tries to find purpose in her last year alive. But will she defy the authorities to find it?